Centrifugal separator



CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR Filed Oct. 29, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4, 1931- E. w. THIELE 1,817,593

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR Filed Oct. 29, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 171065557.- fi/ieaf id 27% 6/6,-

40 held a thin layer of Patented Aug. 4, 1931 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERNEST W. THIELE, OF CHICAGQ ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR '10 STANDARD OIL COMEANY,

OF WRITING, INDIANA, A

CORPORATION OF INDIANA crm'rmruear. summon Application filed October 29, 1828. Serial No; 144,981.

This invention relates to centrifugal separators which are intended primarily for the mechanical separation of entrained liquids which'are usually in the form of very fine mist, from a rapidly moving body of gas or vapor. This is particularly adapted to used in the process of refining petroleum 011s and is used in the vapor line where the vapors are still guite hot and the liquid particles so finel ivided that they can scarcely be separate from thevapors in which they are entrained by ordinary centrifugal methods.

Broadly speaking, the invention consists in increasing thesize'of these particles or droplets by collecting or coalescing them and then passing the vapors with these larger droplets through a centrifugal separator which subjects the moving vapors to a cen- 20 trifugal action of an unusual degree,

The invention is fully described in the following specification'and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through 25 the separator;

ig. 2 is a transverse sectlon on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar section on the line 3-3 of Flg. 1;

. Fig.4is a horizontal section on the hue of Flg. 1; and

Fi 5 is a partially enlarged section showt e screen of Fig. 2.

e embodiment illustrated comprises'm neral way a collecting screen A which is aced in a tapered delivery pipe B WhlCh leads to the centrifu l separator C The screen A consists pre erably of two spaced wire mesh nets and 11 between WhlCh is lass-wool or the like 12. This screen is eld compressed between flanges 13 and 14 which are screwed 'or otherwise secured to the pipes B and 15 respectively; The pipe 15 leads to the retort (not shown) while the tapered pipe B leads at P tangentially into the circular chamber 16 as shown in Fig. 2.

This chamber leads into a separating chamber 17 which is preferably larger than the chamber 16 through a restricted central passage 18. To bring about this restricted passage, the tapered wall 19 partly closes one end of the chamber 16 and has a cylindrical portion 20 which, together with the cylindrical central member 21 forms the restricted annular passa e 18.

These mem rs are made coaxial so that gas entering the circular chamber 16 at high velocity is forced at even very much higher speed through the restricted annular passage 18, thereby imparting to it a very much higher rotational speed. Consequently, any foreign or liquid particles carried by the moving body of vapors and gases will have this centrifugal force applied to it with the result that much of the entrained liquid particles will be thrown outwardly as the whole passes into the quiescent zoneof the collection chamber 17, and most of these particles will be given suflicient velocity to brin them into contact with the walls of the cham er 17. The li uid so collected will run down, the si es of the wall and collect in the bottom of the chamber. This separating action is greatly increased by in-: creasing the size of the liquid particles or droplets and this is accomplished by the screen A set in advance of the centrifugal separator. This screen causes coalescence of the liquid particles so that the centrifugal action lateris much more efiective 1n separ ating the liquid from the gas.

It will be understood that other forms of the screen A may be used. For example, it has been found that a screen made up of a number of layers offine wire netting is quite efiective for this purpose.

The gases and vapors pass out arator chamber 17 thro 22. This, pipe is mova of the seph the central pipe 1e longitudinally so;

through the separating chamber so as to permit the point of entrance into the pipe to be adjusted to the best position after which it is secured in place as by means of a Wedge 23. The gases and vapors then pass out through tubes 24 to another part of the refining apparatus.

Liquid collecting on the walls of the separating chamber 17 drains down into the bottom thereof and out through the pipe 25 to the liquid seal 26 and thence through a pipe 27 to a suitable collecting tank.

While I have shown and described but a single embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes therefore in the construction and arrangement may be made which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A separator of the class described comprising means for causing droplets to coalesce from a fine liquid mist suspended in a vapor, and centrifugal means for separating said droplets from the vapor, comprising a centrifugal chamber provided with a tangential inlet pipe and having a tapered outlet portion delivering into an enlarged separating chamber.

2. A separator of theclass described comprising a cylindrical chamber provided with a tapered outlet end, a pipe leading tangentially thereinto, and means associated with said pipe for causing droplets in a fine 1i uid mist suspended-in a gas to coalesce be ore they reach said chamber.

3. A separator of the class described comprising a cylindrical chamber provided with a tapered outlet end, a pipe leading tangentially thereinto, a' drop-collecting screen in said pipe, and a separating chamber into which said tapered end discharges.

4. A separator of the class described comprising a cylindrical chamber, a pipe leading tangentially thereinto, a drop-collecting screen in said pipe, a reduced opening at the outlet end of said chamber, a separating chamber into which said reduced opening discharges, a tube leading from the separating chamber for carrying away the gas, and means for draining liquid from said separating chamber.

5. A separatorof the class described comprising, a screen of glass-wool for-causing droplets to coalesce from a fine liquid mist suspended in a vapor and centrifugal means for separating said droplets from the gas, said means comprising a cylindrical chamber provided with a tapered outlet end, a pipe tangential to a cylindrical side of said chamber and leading thereinto, and a separating chamber into which said outlet end discharges.

6. A separator of the class described com- 

